Now’s the Time to Visit Boston

It’s easy to pen a story about being on safari in Kenya or driving Italy’s Amalfi Coast. But if I look back at the scope of my 23-year career as a travel writer, the articles I’m most proud of writing are the ones that occurred after tragedy. Writing about New York after 9/11, New Orleans after Katrina, Detroit bouncing back from the latest recession. I feel like I’m doing my part in the travel world to bring much needed revenue to a destination that genuinely needs your love and assistance. As I’ve often mentioned in this blog, the best way to support a country or city is to bring your hard earned money to that locale and spend it. So this week I turn my attention to my hometown of Boston. Last Monday, my wife and I went to the marathon to cheer on the lead runners and then returned home to watch the Red Sox win in the bottom of the 9th.  A perfect day, sunny and slightly cool, much like today, a great day to run a marathon. Then in a moment, everything was shattered. Adding insult to injury was that this was vacation week in the Boston area. So instead of heading over to the MFA or Newbury Street with the kids, we were stuck in lockdown, waiting for the captives to be arrested. Thankfully, May, my favorite month in Boston, is just around the corner. I love walking the Public Garden, where the hundreds of colorful tulips can’t help but boost spirits. If you want to support Boston, follow in my footsteps and dine in nearby Back Bay, the neighborhood that was hit the hardest from this week of terror. This week, I’ll be writing only about my favorite things to do in Boston as my heart and prayers go out to all the victims of this shocking tragedy.